Data breaches: definition, types and how to prevent them

Data breaches allow unauthorized people to access illicitly personal, confidential, private, protected and sensitive information, and compromise people’s safety.

Given the risk and the consequences they can have, it is essential to know what they are, what types exist and how to prevent data breaches before they happen.

In this article we have prepared specific sections for each of these points.

What are data breaches?

Data breaches are affairs where a person or several persons access information of others in a non-legal way with the intention of accessing personal, private, confidential, protected or sensitive data in order to commit some kind of criminal action.

This type of situation can affect individuals as well as large and small companies, with the magnitude of the consequences depending on the scale of the stolen information.

In addition to an economic objective, data breaches can cause damage to the reputation of the victims, as well as vulnerability in computer security.

5 types of data breaches

The main problems of data breaches are created by hackers or cyberthreats, but in a generally accepted classification, data breaches come from 2 sources:

1. Technological. The greater the number of connectivity functionalities of our mobile devices, the greater the risk that the data they contain will end up being leaked.
2. User behavior. If a user has a bad digital habit, even if the rest of the technological configurations are correct, the security risk will be latent.

With the above in mind, we can say that the risks of digital societies in terms of data breaches are:

1. Internal information leaks. In this case, an internal person, trusted or with authority and access privileges, steals data for unethical purposes. That is, trafficking in the sale of data or using it to blackmail victims.
2. Credit card fraud. Card cloning is the most common method of getting hold of the data and sensitive information accumulated by these means of payment.
3. Loss or theft of electronic devices. When your laptop or desktop computer, smartphone, backup device, etc. is lost or stolen, you expose yourself to the risk of thieves getting hold of the information contained in the devices and selling it or asking for it to be returned after payment of a “ransom”.
4. Errors or negligence involving unintentional and unauthorized disclosure. Even if there is no malicious intent, the result is just as disastrous and dangerous as in the previous cases, and the exposure of your data will be just as risky and compromised.
5. Other unknown methods. There are cases in which the method used by cybercriminals to access the data breach that gave access to the stolen information is unknown.

How to prevent a data breach?

As we have already hinted, preventing data breaches affects different parties involved in the handling of data and security levels such as:

• End users.
• Information Technology personnel.
• Intermediate people.

With the possible actors identified, it is time to list the recommended practices to prevent data breaches:

• Apply patches and software updates as soon as they are made available by the vendors.
• Update devices even when the software is no longer supported by the manufacturer.
• Ensure high-security encryption for sensitive data and use ISO 27001.
• Opt for two-factor authentication (2FA), multi-factor authentication (MFA), single sign-on (SSO) or identity and access management (IAM) tools to make unwanted access more difficult and protect accounts and credentials.
• Use strong passwords and do not reuse or recycle them across multiple accounts where attackers can use brute force attacks to gain access to additional accounts. The use of password managers can be a guarantee for security as well.
• Back up or schedule backups regularly to have secure backups of all important information contained on devices.
• Access secure URLs and websites. These websites are easily distinguishable by their nomenclature that begins with Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure or HTTPS. In turn, it is recommended to access only URLs from trusted sites.
• Implement BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) security policies, such as requiring all devices to use an enterprise-grade VPN service and antivirus protection.
• Raise user awareness of the importance of using secure credentials, as well as implementing multi-factor authentication to encourage better cybersecurity practices by users. Learning how to use a password manager can be both helpful and highly recommended.
• Inform and educate employees on security best practices and ways to avoid social engineering attacks. Include training and courses on cybersecurity risks. This allows them to naturally become aware of its importance and be fully up to date on existing threats, their new variants and newfangled threats.
• If you are a company, it is essential to have a cyberattack response plan. It defines who is in charge of informing the authorities of the cybercrime, as well as the steps to follow, including the detection of stolen data, the change of passwords and accesses or the monitoring of equipment and systems to locate the risk entry point and the affected networks. 

At Smowltech, we offer proctoring plans to enhance the digital security of our users. For this purpose we rely on an innovative, flexible, and easy-to-implement remote monitoring system that evolves with the needs of your projects. 

Request a free demo and let us show you how to protect your users from data breaches dangers.